Shiny Happy People – Zell am See, Austria

Uncover a secret that the Alpine country of Austria has been keeping from us all these years.

So, as it turns out, I swim almost as badly as I ski – and four-year-olds can ski better than me. But I love the water. Always have. Even as a kid, it didn’t matter if we’d driven through the night – the first thing I did when we got to Goa was hit the beach, often throwing my clothes off while running to the water.

Fortunately for all concerned, age has brought with it a certain sense of decorum. But, if there’s a water body anywhere in my vicinity, that’s where I need to be. And if it happens to be five-odd square kilometres of crystal-clear lake surrounded by mountains, keeping me away is nigh impossible.

The locals of Zell am See share my enthusiasm – enhanced, perhaps, by a day of glorious sunshine. But as it is, the entire – albeit meagre – population of Zell am See seems to be at the water. Such a splendid sight that is: the lake dotted with kayakers, paddle-boarders and swimmers; its banks with sun- worshippers. Kids gambolling in the shallows, leaping off floating platforms. Even the dogs seem to consent to wetting their toes. Me, I can barely contain myself. All Thomas, the unassuming, affable chap showing us around, needs to do is begin to ask: “Would you like…” before I’m running for the boat shed. Cruise boats MS Schmittenhöhe or Kaiserin Elisabeth occasionally whisper past, and the less experienced kayakers and boarders (like me) laugh nervously Kayaking is just one at each other, trying to keep our balance in their wake, of the fun things to do. If good spirits actually did avert disease, we’re probably on Zeller See (lake) the healthiest people in the world right now.

But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. First off, Zell am See? Where (and what) the heck is that?

As I’m discovering, it’s a super-popular Austrian ski destination, with three spectacular mountains – Schmittenhöhe, Kitzsteinhorn and Maiskogel – that offer a whopping 138km of ski slopes in all grades of difficulty. Come winter, this place is swarming with skiers, snowboarders, tobogganists, and all other snow-sport crazies. I’m not a big fan of crowds, and my skiing prowess only makes matters worse.

I’m thanking my stars that we’re here in June – even though Kitzsteinhorn has skiing nine months a year, it’s considerably curtailed in the summers, and most ski tourists are gone.

But – and this is a big but – close to half the visitors come to Zell am See-Kaprun (Kaprun is a small municipality less than 8km away, and the two are considered one entity) in the summer. Again, it’s June to the rescue. July, August and September is when there’s peak summer traffic, so I’m safe.

If you’re anything like me, the shoulder months are your best bet. Also, considering Zell am See is just 105km south of Salzburg, you can easily tick off the Salzburg box if that’s your thing.

But what can you do at a ski destination in summer? Well, as it turns out, a hell of a lot!

Prost! Zum Wohl!

Trips that begin on a happy note usually tend to continue in the same vein. So, it’s with a song on my lips that me and Jyo, the photog, set off for the Sigmund Thun gorge. The River Ache (aah-khuh) roars through a crevasse a little over 100ft-deep that was carved out by a glacier some 14,000 years ago.

A wooden pathway is built along its length, and, while the walk is pleasant enough, it’s at the end of it that the fun begins. A small path meanders into the woods, and we decide to go exploring. Perhaps spot a hare, or a fox while we’re at it. The turquoise blue waters of Klamm See shimmer in the distance below. But the path soon narrows to a thread. We’re all alone, and a bit lost. Sure, we could just retrace our steps, but where’s the fun in that? Since we can still see the lake below, we decide to press further and chance upon a charming little inn called A lmwirtschaft Schneckenreith. Loosely translated, it means ‘alpine mountain pasture of Schneckenreith’. No one speaks English, so getting directions are out of the question, and the only other people there is a bunch of gruff, hairy men, holding humungous beer mugs in their hands. Just as uh-oh thoughts race through my head, one of them, seeing Jyo, breaks into a wide, toothy smile, stands up, and tips his hat to her.

By then, the lady of the house has got her daughter, who speaks some broken English, and, in a matter of seconds, everything is right with the world again. We’ve found our way back, and perhaps the best place for a beer in all of Kaprun. They’re open only during the summer months, so, as the sun disappears behind the peaks of Hohe Tauern and we make our way down the mountainside, I find myself thanking June yet again.

Top of Salzburg

Of the three mountains surrounding Zell am See, Kitzsteinhorn, with its glacier, has snow all year round. Ski season’s almost over, so I’m content with taking in the sights from Gipfelwelt 3000, the Kitzsteinhorn summit station. At 3,029m, this is the highest panorama platform in the state of Salzburg. But then I find out that Thomas is an ex world skiing champion. And, as providence would have it, the nine months that some slopes remain open includes June. Seizing my chance, I ask if he’d be willing to give us lessons, to which he happily consents. Two bruising hours later, I’ve had my fill, Jyo has her shots, and Thomas, another good day at office. Perhaps I should’ve just watched a film at Cinema 3000, or headed out to the panoramic platform to admire the magnificent peaks of Grossglockner. But no, I wanted to ski!

I figured if a four-year-old can do it, it couldn’t be that difficult, right? I mean, they have the hand-eye coordination of, well, a four-year-old! Thomas says it’ll be easier the next time around. It would have been easier to believe him if he hadn’t been trying so hard not to laugh.

Dammed If I Do …

Visiting a dam isn’t really my idea of fun, but since it was on the itinerary, there was no getting out of it. So, l figured that perhaps coming up with silly puns about dams might help while away the time. But, like with the rest of Zell am See, I’m in for a pleasant surprise. Not only is the ride to the high alpine reservoirs super scenic, we also get to travel in this massive lift, supposed to be one of the largest in the world. The twin reservoirs of Wasserfallboden and Mooserboden are remarkable to say the least – not just to look at, mind you, although the location and its surroundings are spectacular, too. Visual appeal aside, they’re engineering marvels. About 2,000m above sea level; dam walls 500m long; 160 million cubic metres of water driving the power stations… it’s all a bit other-worldly, one of Austria’s greatest engineering feats, and I’m geeking out.
There are nice walks along marked trails into the surrounding mountains, with the Kräuterlehrpfad, or herb discovery trail, recommended for all budding botanists, but I’m more interested in the workings of the power station, so if s the guided tour of the innards of the beast for me. At the end of it, I’m mighty glad I visited. I’d have been damned if I didn’t.

What Goes Up …
It’s a lazy summer afternoon, and the alpine coaster – luge – is completely deserted. The operator looks barely 18, and bored out of his skull. He does check if I’m strapped in securely before sending me off, though. As the Maisiflitzer slowly climbs 730m, I have ample time to take in the milieu: delicate alpine flowers poking their heads through overgrowth thickets on either side of the track, the soporific lull of the mid-morning sun, the occasional loopy bee. It’s really quiet, except for the clackety-clack of the chain on its sprockets. Even that slows down as the coaster trundles to a halt at the top.
Just as I’m wondering if I’m supposed to do anything, boom! I’m off! Now, 40kmph doesn’t seem a lot, but, when you’re hurtling down a mountain slope, in an open-topped cart, with just a thin strap keeping you in, taking turns at almost 90°, it’s fast enough. Sure, it’s tried and tested and all that, but it’s still plenty scary, for almost all the way down. Given a chance, I’d have gone straight back up for another go.

Schmitten
No, I wasn’t going for a pun this time. That’s actually what the name of the place is. But, come to think of it, the pun would’ve worked just fine. In winter, the slopes of Schmittenhöhe are a skier’s delight, but, come summer, the snow melts and opens up some seriously pretty hiking trails, including the Pinzgauer Spaziergang, which, we’re told, is one of the prettiest in the eastern Alps, and quite an easy walk to boot. Naturally, I’m immediately interested. But then comes the damper… it takes the better part of a day, and time is a luxury we don’t have. We content ourselves with a curtailed version. Just to get a better idea of what I’d missed, I look up the hike, and I’m astounded by the amount of data. There is precise, detailed information available about every hike, including directions, distance, duration, difficulty, elevation and waypoints. They even have downloadable GPX and KML files that sync with Google Maps and GPS devices, available. The real challenge here is managing to get lost.

Fun at the Neighbours’
The last stop in our summer sojourn is Leogang. Though technically not part of Zell am See-Kaprun, it is, both, close and interesting enough to warrant a visit. The first thing we’re doing there is taking a ride on the Flying Fox. But not the children’s version, this one’s the XXL. I’m going to be riding a zip-line down the mountain side, in a completely prone position, parallel to the ground, at 130kmph. Excellent! Leogang also has some great mountain bike trails, and, from the cable car on the way up, it looks like fun, but I’m thinking to myself it can’t be half as exciting as what I’m going to be doing.
The adrenaline is pumping even as I don my gear and get into the harness. As the operator pulls the release cable and I start accelerating rapidly, I feel so incredibly safe it takes away some of the excitement. My first thought at the end of the ride is “Man! Shouldn’t sliding down a mountain on a steel cable at these speeds feel a bit scarier?” No, I’m not being macho or anything of that sort. I’m the very same person who had to hit the brakes at just 38kmph on the alpine coaster. So there.
A visit to the Schaubergwerk Leogang, an abandoned mining area, promises to be a more sedate experience, but turns out to be almost equally exhilarating. Mining in this region is said to have started in the early Bronze Age, circa 1800 BCE, and the show mines we visit date back to the 13th century, extracting a variety of metals, including silver, nickel, cobalt and copper. As I walk through the narrow underground corridors of Barbarastolien, rubbing my hands together to keep warm, the dim lighting casting eerie shadows, I can only imagine what it must’ve been like to work here centuries ago and the kind of hardships the mine workers must have had to endure. My hair is standing on end by the time we’re out, and it’s certainly not only because of the cold.
The clouds are rolling in as we head back to Kaprun. The sun’s been kind to us the past few days, so we can’t really complain. Soon, the heavens open up and it rains through the night. It’s a different side of Kaprun that we wake up to the next morning. Kitzsteinhorn is shrouded in mist, and the Ache is angry. I guess it’s time to leave.

3 Ways to Make It Happen: Zell am See-Kaprun

Stay
There is no dearth of stay options here, from five-star hotels to campsites and everything in between.
Pension Eschenhof is a family-run guesthouse, tucked away down a quiet street in Kaprun. The rooms are comfortable and cosy, and the family warm and friendly.
Auhof, overlooking the Ache River, is a 40-year-old establishment that offers you a choice between suites and apartments. Why stay in a hotel when you can stay in a spa? With 11 swimming pools, 10 sauna and steam rooms, and 17 beauty treatment rooms, Tauern Spa is indulgence with a capital ‘I’.
Eat
Das Wirtshaus, the restaurant at the Auh of hotel, prides itself on its use of regional produce. It also has a tantalising array of cakes and pastries. Sample authentic Austrian food in a traditional setting at Knappen tube, the restaurant at the LeogangS chaubergwerk mines.
No trip to a ski destination is complete without hitting an après-ski joint like Pavillion Musik+Pub. It’s a lot quieter in summers, though, and the food menu is restricted to burgers, wraps and the like.
Good to Know
The Zell am See-Kaprun summer card is a must-have if you’re visiting between May 15 and October15. It offers a host of benefits, including free rides in cable cars, boat rides on the lake, entry into museums, mines, wild life parks, and the indoor swimming pool, among others. The best part is that it is free of cost for visitors who book into one of the participating hotels and guesthouses. However, it cannot be bought separately, so make sure you book into one of the eligible establishments.